Intermezzo
by alessandriana
Summary: Naruto is more than ready to get out of the hospital the catch is, he needs someone to stay with! What's that? Sakura has volunteered? Oh, what will our hero do? SPOILERS for ch 238. Discontinued
1. Default Chapter

**INTERMEZZO**

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.

A/N: This is an experiment for me-to see if I can keep up a steady pace of writing over an extended period of time, and to see if I'm capable of writing a chaptered fic. As such, you should be able to expect updates around every Monday.   
Also, the events herein have been inserted in the three week period between chapters 237 and 238 of the manga, so there are MASSIVE SPOILERS for that arc. I am at the same time, however, happily ignoring anything in the manga (mostly minor details) that might contradict what's happening here, and most of the medical stuff is completely made up to suit my needs. Thus, suspension of belief is a necessity when reading this.   
Warnings? Nothing in this chapter. I will keep you updated in future chapters, though. Pairings? So far as I know, none. This is supposed to be a friendship fic, but I'm not sure how it's going to develop.   
Preliminary updates can be found on my livejournal (the link is in my profile). Reviews are, as always, appreciated.

**intermezzo** n. pl. **intermezzos** or **intermezzi**   
1.A brief entertainment between two acts of a play; an entr'acte.   
2.Music.   
a.A short movement separating the major sections of a lengthy composition or work.   
b.An independent instrumental composition having the character of such a movement.

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"EHHHHHHHHH?!?!"

Naruto's voice could be heard echoing down the hallways, and Sakura paused before entering his hospital room, her hands flying to her ears in pain. Naruto could be _loud_ when he wanted to be.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but Tsunade-sama has ordered us not to discharge you unless you have someone at home to watch you." That was Shizune's voice coming from Naruto's room, and it sounded like she was repeating herself. Sakura felt a stab of sympathy for her if she was trying to get Naruto to stay in the hospital any longer. He'd been itching to get out from the second he'd been admitted.

"But-- but-- why?!" Thankfully, Naruto had lowered his voice a bit, but Sakura's ears were still ringing. "I need to get out of here soon, Ero-sennin said he'd start training me!"

"You won't be able to start training for at _least_ a week," Shizune said, with a long suffering sigh. "You suffered severe injuries, and they're not healing as quickly as they ought to because you also managed to burn out your chakra pathways. Your body still isn't accustomed to using the extraordinary amount of chakra you used during this fight, so you did yourself a lot of damage. They'll heal, but _only_ if you don't use any chakra until they're fixed. Also--" she stopped, having noticed Sakura standing in the doorway "Oh, hello, Sakura."

"Hi Sakura-chan!" Naruto beamed at her. Then his expression turned pleading. "Ne, Sakura-chan, tell her I don't need to be stuck in here for another week! I can take care of myself!"

"There's really no other choice, Naruto-kun." Shizune said, before Sakura could respond to his plea. "You need someone who can watch you--"

"Then, then, what about Iruka-sensei, or Kakashi-sensei, or Ero-sennin?"

"--and all the adults who might, in other circumstances, be willing to take care of you are far to busy right now with missions and the rebuilding of the village," Shizune continued smoothly over his interruption. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but it can't be helped."

"But I want to go _home,"_ Naruto whispered, wilting. He seemed to develop a sudden fascination with the ground at his feet, twisting his hands together in front of him.

In anyone else she would have thought they were just faking so they could be released, but this was Naruto. He couldn't act to save his life. Sakura winced, guilt twisting at her insides. Naruto was a generally obnoxious and loud little brat, and she frequently had to keep herself from smacking him upside the head, but this time she found herself on his side. Wasn't there some way he could be released? It wasn't fair that he was stuck here just because he didn't have a family...

Shizune felt like she was kicking a puppy, but she held firm. It was Tsunade-sama's orders, after all. "I really am sorry, Naruto-kun." she said gently.

Naruto's eyes, usually scrunched up in a smile, were hidden underneath his bangs. He didn't reply.

Sakura twitched with indecision. Maybe there was something she could do to help?

"He can stay with me," Sakura burst out suddenly, to the surprise of everyone in the room, including herself. She hadn't even known what she was going to say before the words left her mouth, but she hadn't been able to keep silent any longer. She considered taking it back, but he had looked so pitiful... "We have an extra bedroom. He can stay at my house," she repeated, as much to convince herself as to convince Shizune. Besides, the look of sheer hope he was giving her now was more than worth the trouble she'd have getting her parents to go along with it

Then Naruto's face suddenly closed down, and he went back to staring at the floor, rubbing a hand along the back of his head nervously. "Um. Thanks for the offer, Sakura-chan, but that's probably not a good idea. I really do appreciate it!" he said, looking up quickly at her face. "But, your parents-- I don't think they'd want--"

"Oh, they'll agree," she said firmly. "I'll make sure of it." It would be worth it just to keep that look of resignation off his face.

And so when Naruto wrapped her in a bear hug so tight she could barely breath, grinning fit to burst, she put up with it. Just this once.


	2. Chapter 2

**Intermezzo: Chapter Two**

"Mom, Dad, I need a favor," Sakura asked. Her parents were both in the kitchen, thankfully-- her mother at the counter, making lunch, and her father sitting at the kitchen table with paperwork spread around him. They both looked up from their work at her, and she gulped. Hopefully they'd agree right off, but if they didn't-- well, she still had a backup plan.

"What is it, sweetheart?" her father asked. Ever since Sasuke had left the village and Sakura had been left behind their daughter had been unusually depressed. She'd wandered around the village in a daze, hardly eating or sleeping. Now that the rescue team had returned she had seemed to recover, but there were still dark circles under her eyes. They'd agree to whatever she asked, because she was their baby girl and they'd do anything to help her start resting peacefully again.

"Can Naruto stay here for a week?" Sakura asked.

Except that.

"Er," her mother said.

"Um," said her father.

"Absolutely not," they said in unison.

Sakura almost growled in anger.

"Why not?" she asked. It was hard to keep the frustration out of her voice. She'd been expecting them to say no, but she hadn't expected them to be quite that vehement about it!

"He wouldn't be here that long, he just needs somewhere to stay while he heals. He can't go home right now without someone to take care of him."

"Wouldn't it be better for him to stay in the hospital, then?" her mother asked. She was trying to sound like she was seriously concerned for Naruto's health, and not just brushing off Sakura's request.

"Maybe, but he doesn't want to," Sakura explained. "Besides, I told him he could stay here. He's not a bad kid," she continued, seeing her parent's reluctance. "He's just a little... loud sometimes. But he's hurt right now, so I don't think he'll be doing much more than staying in bed. _Please?_" She shot her parents the puppy-dog eyes. That usually worked pretty well against them.

Her parents exchanged glances, thirteen-year old memories of death and destruction flashing through their minds. This was the _Kyuubi_ brat. Even if he was so badly injured he couldn't _move_, he could probably still take them out. It had been hard enough agreeing to let him be on their dear Sakura's team; there was no way they were going to let their only daughter be in the same _house_ with him.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I don't think it would be a good idea," her father said, in the tone of voice that indicated he was finished with the conversation. "It just wouldn't be right to allow a boy we don't know to stay here."

Sakura ground her teeth together. "Oh, fine!" she said, turning and stalking towards the stairs. It was time for plan B. "I'll just start packing, then."

Her parents bristled in shock behind her. "Wait-- packing?" her mother said.

Her father stood up so fast his chair almost tipped over. "Where are you going?" he asked.

Sakura turned and looked at them, trying with all her might to project nonchalance.

"To stay at Naruto's apartment, of course," she said. The expression of pure shock on their faces was worth every bit of frustration she'd been going through for the past ten minutes. "If he can't stay here, then I'll just have to stay over at his place instead. Either way, I'm going to be taking care of him."

"I _forbid_ it--" her father protested, while at the counter her mother was still shocked speechless. "You can't stay over at his house by yourself! It's-- it's just not proper!"

"You can't stop me," Sakura said quietly, effectively shutting him up. They both knew it was true. She had become the first ninja in their family in generations, and had been able to sneak past her parents since she was six years old. There was nothing they could do to stop her if she was determined enough.

Her father sat back down, scooting his chair up to the table so he could rest his head in his hands. "But-- oh, fine," he said, resigned. "Naruto can stay here. But ONLY until he gets well again." It was better, after all, than having Sakura all alone in Naruto's apartment-- this way they could at least watch him, even if they wouldn't be able to stop the boy if he tried anything.

"But, dear--!" Sakura's mother protested.

"It's fine," he said, even though it wasn't. Everything in him protested bringing such a danger into their home.

Mrs. Haruno sighed. "Oh, all right," she said, turning back to her lunch preparations. Her knife began to flash in a steady rhythm as she took her anger out on the vegetables. "I hope you know what you're doing," she mumbled under her breath at her husband.

"It'll be fine," he repeated, just as quietly. "He likes her, remember? He won't do anything to hurt her." He hoped.

Sakura was rejoicing, oblivious to her parent's argument. She hadn't expected them to put up so much resistance to having Naruto come and stay, and it puzzled her, but plan B had worked exactly as she'd hoped it would. This hadn't been the first time she'd used that tactic.

"I'll just set up the guest room, then!" Sakura said cheerily, heading for the stairs. "Naruto will be over after lunch."


	3. Chapter 3

**Intermezzo: Chapter Three**

In all honesty, despite her assurances Naruto hadn't really thought that Sakura would be able to convince her parents to let him stay, thought he had greatly appreciated the thought. Therefore he had an elaborate plan ready for when Sakura came back, having changed her mind, that would allow him to escape from the hospital that night and hide out at his apartment. Of course, the sticking point to his plan was that that would be the first place anyone would look for him, and he didn't have any other place to stay.

He was still contemplating the problem as he picked at his lunch (blech! hospital food! where was ramen when you really needed it?) when, to his great surprise, Sakura came waltzing into his room.

"Well, why aren't you packed yet? Get moving!" she said.

He couldn't help but gape at her. "You mean, your parents said yes?"

"Of course they did! I promised, didn't I? And I don't break my promises any more than you do," she said.

His grin must have stretched from ear to ear, because Sakura was looking at him like he was crazy. "Yay!" he cheered, and tried to dive out of bed to gather up his stuff. Except his body still wasn't responding properly and all he managed to do was land in an undignified heap on the floor.

"Owowow," he muttered. Sakura was laughing at him behind her hand, he could tell, and so he was grateful when she turned and headed for the door, saying over her shoulder, "I'll go talk to Shizune-san and ask her for the paperwork so we can get you out of here. I'm sure you can pack up by yourself, right?"

He blushed and nodded as she left, the door swinging shut behind her.

It was harder to get up off the floor than he had expected; he'd never healed this slowly before in his life, and he wasn't enjoying the experience at all. If this was what it was like for normal people than he could almost be grateful to the Kyuubi, despite all the other problems it had caused by its presence.

Once off the floor, he heading for the closet in the corner where his few possessions had been stored. Carefully shucking off his hospital-issued kimono, he grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt Iruka-sensei had brought him from his apartment and pulled them on. Into a plastic shopping bag went his orange suit-- he'd be wearing it instead, except for the blood stains and the giant hole through the right shoulder that he tried quite hard not to think about. He debated putting Sasuke's forehead protector (another thing he wasn't ready to think about yet) in the plastic bag as well, but somehow couldn't quite bring himself to do so. Instead he stuck it in his left pocket, and his own forehead protector went in his right. Somehow the symmetry comforted him. That, plus a toothbrush the hospital had provided, was the sum total of the belongings he had here, and it took only seconds to pack. He sat back down on his bed to wait.

It was several minutes before Sakura returned, long enough that Naruto started imagining all the worst case scenarios. What if Shizune refused to let him out, even though he had a place to go now?

He shuddered. It didn't even bear thinking about-- he was going to get out, whether Shizune approved or not. He couldn't stand hospitals. They were too cold, too sterile, and he couldn't help but imagine all the people who must have died there over the years. He'd kept himself up last night wondering what the place had been like after the Kyuubi had attacked-- the quiet shattered by screams, blood staining the pristine floors as the nurses and doctors worked franticly to save lives. He wondered if this was where Iruka-sensei's parents had died.

He wondered if this was where his own parents had died.

He was snapped out of his reverie by Sakura throwing open the door, grinning and waving a sheaf of papers at him in one hand. In his other she held a paper bag which he assumed held his medicine.

Instantly his mood improved. He was really getting out! It wasn't someone's awful idea of a joke, it was real!

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Sakura said, making shooing motions with her hand.

"Coming!" he grinned, fox-wide, and, jumping off the bed, followed her out through the hospital hallways and into the sunshine.

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_First off, I apologize for how short these past three chapters have been; they were originally one long chapter, but ff. net didn't want to recognize the format I use for scene changes and I got tired of screwing around with alternate styles, so I just broke it up. The next chapter ought to be longer. I think._

_A couple questions I guess need answering:_

_Is this going to be AU? _

_Well, yes and no. It's set during the three month break between chapters 237 and 238, and really, anything could have happened in that much time. No, this probably isn't what Kishimoto had in mind, but I'm going to try as hard as I can to make it fit with the information he has revealed about it; thus, Sakura will begin her training with Tsunade during the course of this fic, and at the end Naruto will go off to train with Jiraiya._

_Is this NaruSaku? _

_Uh, I thought I already made that clear in the authors notes in the first chapter—more than likely, no, it won't be NaruSaku. In fact, I'm pretty sure there won't be any romance in this fic at all. I mean, they're thirteen years old. I'd want them more mature before I did anything. Sorry if this disappoints you._


End file.
